Hello!
Welcome to this year’s last WEP Challenge inspired by the iconic song of Roberta Flack.
A little backstory to this prose poem. Our world thrives on heterogeneity. It is in our differences that we can see the true beauty of this world. It would be so boring if we were all similar. Ironically, it is also our differences that cause us to hurt each other. Bringing to you,
We Choose to be Handcuffed by Rolling Letters
The first time ever I saw your face, it looked no different from mine. A nose set between a pair of eyes, two lips right under, a set of ears to hear … erm, sometimes eavesdrop or perhaps turn red with embarrassment! There were other things too. Like your hands with nicks and cuts that I have from little accidents in the kitchen. Or the way we both moved to Roberta Flack’s Your face, your face, your face, yaaww faaace!
It was all the same. Or, maybe not! You said I rolled a wayward letter just a wee bit more … your face …
I still do. But when I embrace, I’m sure it is quite like you, pressing my body soft and warm against my lover’s. The interference of love in our normal lives must feel the same, like the orange skyline over a summer field.
Yet, you insisted on the rolling of the wayward letter in my out-of-sight mouth.
And then you spoke about other things …
The colours we wear on our skin – 70% water, 25% proteins, 3% lipids – much the same for you and me. But you persisted. Brown, not-so-brown; white, not-so-white; right, not-so-right!
The names of my strange towns and of people like me, some tongue-twisters but not so many.
The lip-smacking dish you denied a chance to, because the accompanying chutney* wasn’t on your menu.
A celebration of heterogeneity wasn’t for us to see.
And so, the first time ever I saw your face, the bubble of likeness burst too soon. Handcuffed by rolling letters, we forgot to move to the rhythm of your face, your face, your face, yaaww face!
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*chutney – a sweet and sour, sometimes spicy sauce
(FCA – 286 WORDS)
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Thank you for reading. I would love to hear what you to say about my attempt.
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A Hundred Quills 
We should both seek common ground and appreciate one another’s differences. The world would be boring if we were all the same. Number 12 Looks Just Like You is a dystopian vision, not a world to aspire to.
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Timely, topical, thought provoking and compellingly crafted in such a small wordcount, Sonia. Brilliant use of the prompt.
Thank you for writing with WEP for this challenge and for your support through out the year.
Seasons greetings to you.
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This is such a thoughtful and well-written piece. We all have so many wonderful differences that make us who we are, but at the same time, we can find so much in common. Sometimes we can find love in those differences, and alas, sometimes we allow those differences to tear us apart.
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You put so much – pain and philosophy, bewilderment and understanding – into so few words. An amazing post.
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I enjoyed your submission.
Nancy
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Hi,
I’m going to pick up on the ‘rolling ‘r’ which is very much done here in some parts of Germany. I laugh now because after I learned how to do it, the people in my area could finally understand me. Too funny but true.
I like your story very much. It speaks of the differences that keep us from recognizing that we are all brothers and sisters regardless of whether we roll our ‘r’ or not, because humanity is a person and not a color, language, or nationality.
Have a Merry Christmas, and I hope to see you again next year.
Shalom aleichem
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So beautifully written and thought out Sonia. A song of differences which can complete each other…or not.
Especially liked “ I rolled a wayward letter just a wee bit more…” and the simile for love embrace “like the orange skyline over a summer field”. “Handcuffed by rolling letters”. Thank you. Wishing you a restful weekend ahead.
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Hi Sonia – I enjoyed the read and understanding your thoughts … I’m glad you clarified the ‘rolling R’ – but we all should be more aware or more accepting of others and their cultures and traditions, let alone our own inabilities with our own lives. Take care and all the best with your prose poems and authorship – cheers Hilary
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Thanks Sonia, for a very thoughtful prose poem which in the earlier days of WEP we fondly called Prosetry. What a great message to send, perfect for this time of year when so much is being challenged.
Also Sonia, a big thank you for your support where you tweeted even when you couldn’t participate. I hope you’re a regular again in 2023. We love our WEP members!
Happy Holidays!
Denise
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Lovely. It’s a shame we can’t be kinder, can’t accept our differences with love. Well, some of us. Don’t change a thing, it was – Beautiful.
Happy Holidays and a prosperous New Year.
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Love this Sonia! The diversity of humankind is our best feature. We may look and sound different in some ways, but those are such minor things. It’s all about the heart! Thanks for sharing this!
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I’m not familiar with “rolling letters.” The phrase is being used as a metaphor?
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Hi Liz. So I just made a reference to the letter ‘r’ which is rolled in some cultures while you speak and silent in others
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I thought that might have been it, but I wasn’t sure.
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Refers to different lingual techniques. But you just made me think that it might not be clear to all readers and I should think of using it differently.
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If you decide to, I’d be interested in reading a revised version.
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Or maybe a quick footnote might also help?
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